Tag: Apathy

“The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)

The calling of Samuel is a tragic story.
It should not have happened this way.
When we think of Samuel we only remember him anointing David at God’s behest, but many times we don’t think of why Samuel was called in the first place.

The short version:
Eli (High Priest at the central sanctuary of Shiloh, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept) and his sons had failed within their leadership responsibilities. Eli had turned a blind eye to his sons wickedness. In a way Eli allowed their activities to continue by not dealing with the situations. A personal/painful note: dealing with situations and sin issues is hard enough, when it’s within the family it can be even harder.

Samuel is called by God, because Eli and his sons had failed.
It is actually a very tragic tale that could have been avoided, but this story should also serve as a lesson in leadership, integrity and accountability to all of us who are serving Christ within The Salvation Army.

No, I am not calling anyone out…but sometimes if the shoe fits…

Heart Attacks And Leadership…
When someone has a traumatic cardiac event (heart attack), there are usually warning signs before the actual event: Extreme fatigue, a feeling of suffocating, trouble catching ones breath, dizziness, profuse sweating, a sudden flu or cold days before, panic attacks, chest pains.
-These are just a few warning signs that could indicate someone ought to have their heart checked.
Becoming attentive to these warning signs could potentially save someone’s life.
Ignoring such signs, well, I’m sure you get the picture.

Just as there are warning signs with failing hearts, there are also warning signs with failing leaders as well.
To ignore such signs could become very tragic indeed.

3 Warning Signs The Indicates Leadership Failure:

1. When Leadership Becomes Lethargic and Stale:
When I say “lethargic” I wish to convey the notion that apathy and laziness is a real killer to organizations!
We, as an Army, have no room for apathy and laziness.
We, as an Army, cannot afford to NOT care about the souls of the lost.
We, as an Army, cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering of people…EVER, regardless of who they are, where they’re from and what they currently stand for. We cannot ignore this warning sign if it is present within our ministries. Lethargic leaders are dead leaders walking. Organizations and Churches have seen far too many of these leaders, we cannot keep the mission while entertaining such a failed form of leadership. Apathy will lead to God selecting others to replace us if we allow it to become our identity as leaders. Such leaders are not godly. Such leaders will be removed. Such leaders will be held accountable to God.

2. When Leadership Becomes Anorexic:
You know the devastating effects of anorexia on the body. It is a sad disease that robs people of their dignity and ultimately their lives. In the same way, there is such a thing as anorexic leadership. It is the “spiritual” leader that has no spiritual depth. It is the leader that lacks integrity. It is the leader that says one thing but does another. It is the leader who isn’t willing to do the hard work but expects the hard work done by other people. It is the wasting away of the spiritual body that leads to the death of the spiritual body. Anorexic leadership will kill an organization. It can kill The Salvation Army. If leaders are appointed, who have no spiritual depth, but instead are simply climbing the ladder and are in search for power and personal gain, it will kill an organization! It will kill the mission! Please, please, please, note this warning sign, dear Army. Anorexic leadership is very real and, dare I say it even exists right now within our Army in various forms. Don’t allow it to waste you away! Don’t allow it to hollow us out. Don’t entertain such folly. It. will. kill. you!

3. When Leadership Becomes Amaurotic:
Eli, the High Priest, turned a blind eye to the actions and activities of his sons. He was guilty because he did nothing to intervene and to stop the sins taking place. Let’s call sin for what it is. Let’s not beat around the bush. If we see a brother or sister stumbling or falling back into old sinful patterns WE MUST DO SOMETHING to save them! Dare I say (and dare I will) that if we turn a blind eye to their activities, we too are just as guilty! The word “Amaurotic” is related to a medical condition of the eyes. It is what happens when damage takes place to the eyes that causes blindness of one kind or another. Amaurotic leadership, is blind leadership. It is leadership that is gutless. It is a “do nothing” leadership that does not hold people accountable and does not keep the standards high within the body of Christ. We are called to be set apart. We are called to be a city on a hill. We are called to be salt and light. But what happens when that light begins to dim? What happens when that “set apartness” is all meshed back up with the old sinful ways so you can’t tell them apart anymore? We need clear vision. We need solid soldiers. We need solid officers. We need solid leaders who can see even into the difficult things and not turn a blind eye. If we lose the vision, the body will fall apart. If we fall apart, God will chose someone else. God will appoint someone else to replace us.

The Warning Signs & Organizational Observations:
–Organizations can sometimes overshadow the mission, it can become too big for its own good. It can develop so much that the “developing” aspect eventually replaces the original mission and reason for being. Eli and his sons, lost their way. They became too important in their own minds.
–Organizations can sometimes play politics instead of practicing prophecy.
I don’t mean “fore-knowledge” like predicting the future. What I mean is that a prophet of God is to be the very mouth piece of God. One who speaks for God. One who leads others to God. One who ushers souls and lives to be transformed by God. A mouth piece of God practices holiness and lives holiness. Sometimes, I fear, The Salvation Army is better at playing politics than practicing prophecy. I don’t mean everyone, but sometimes we can lose our way. Sometimes we can become lost in the mix of “business”, policy, “law keeping” instead of life changing, heart reconciliation, “Holy Spirit moving us once again to our knees” kind of practicing.

Questions to ponder today:
Have we become lethargic in our ministries?
Have we become anorexic with our spiritual depth?
Have we become amaurotic with our mission?
I don’t offer this pondering today to accuse or provide some sort of “guilt trip”, I merely wonder if it’s time once again to kneel before Father with a spiritual check-up and possibly become reconciled to Him again.

God replaced Eli and his sons, he could very well do the same with us if we are not living as we should!
May this be a sobering reminder to us all today.
Perhaps this is a wake up call.
Perhaps this is a warning to our hearts by the Holy Spirit to continually seek repentance and live out His calling upon our lives.

Can we identify with those who live on the streets? I don’t mean hopeless conversations and pre-judgement calls such as “Well, they’re drunks and if I give them money they will just spent it on more booze…” That isn’t identifying with homelessness, that’s passing judgement on them. Yes, something needs to be done, but casting blame, brow beating and ugly talk will not restore lives.

Just this past week, London’s Mayor Boris Johnson called for the removal of the “ugly, stupid anti-homeless spikes” in a modern upscale neighborhood after many took to social media sites to decry this horrific practice and homeless deterrent. (source: http://rt.com/news/164952-anti-homeless-spikes-remove/)

Although we can see this as a success in “spreading the word”, we shouldn’t just stop here to rest on our laurels, much work still remains to be done.

Personalizing Homelessness – breaking the prejudgements:

Some have argued that these protests against anti-homeless constructions infringe on the rights of the landowners or landlords. Understandably, this is a concern. Certainly those who are good stewards of their property wish to maintain a safe and aesthetically pleasing environment for their tenants, but at what cost?

How are we to care for others while taking care of the properties around us? This is a troubling issue, and both sides of this argument require consideration. Yet many times the campaign of driving homelessness from the streets of our cities is something done quietly. Why would it be done quietly? Some may wonder. The reason is because of fear of public repercussions. There are times when law enforcement officials are encouraged to drive homeless individuals to locations outside of town and drop them off. When this type of practice happens we begin to dehumanize people. What is the value of a life today? Even if that life is smelly, dirty and unhealthy, that person is still human.

Making it personal:

What if that person on the street is your brother or sister? What if that homeless person is a son or daughter? Wouldn’t you want others to treat them fairly? Would you want someone to help them? There are many root causes of homelessness, drugs and alcohol are usually the first things we assume brought them to homelessness, but mental abuse and disabilities are also contributors. These are the least of these in our communities. These are people without voices. What if we made homelessness personal. What if we humanized these poor wretches for a moment. I don’t use that term to make them seem “under” me by any means, but how much of a difference does it make to see them as equals to us? Sure they may be without homes, incomes and families, but are they not still loved by an Almighty God who knows their names and loves them the same as He loves us?

The difference between apathy and mercy:

There’s a vast difference between these two words. One speaks of indifference to others while the other speaks of compassion and love. One is uncaring while the other cares. Which are we? Do we see people living on the streets…actually see them? Is there something that WE can do? I certainly don’t propose that we go and put ourselves in danger…but there is something we can do to avoid apathy in these situations. Care. Find places like The Salvation Army who can go in uniform with many hands to help clothe, feed and show love. Become involved, volunteer in church groups who minister through soup kitchens and other feeding programs. One such program is The Salvation Army’s Bed & Bread club – http://www.usc.salvationarmy.org/usc/www_usc_detroithl.nsf/vw-text-index/9b2226ecdc63d0518025717f007045c7?opendocument

Contribute to authentic ministries and missions who actually go and help those living on the streets. Make homelessness personal. Each person who sleeps out there under bridges and in the nooks of buildings are still people. Some of these homeless individuals have family members still looking for them. We can either construct crude spikes on a street or park bench and drive them from our sight, or we can lend a helping hand without prejudging their motives or intentions.

Homelessness should be personal to us. We should care about others, and if we can help…we should.

-Just another thought to ponder.

Prayer: Lord help me to see others the way that You seen them. Help me to be an instrument of Your peace. Remove my prejudgments and prejudices. Grant me wisdom and love, fill me with Your mercy, and may my hands become Yours. -Amen.

Apathy is the death of man’s spiritual relationship with God. It happens when we stop caring, or find ourselves at a point in our lives where we are unfeeling. Have you been there before? It can be both terrifying and silent because we are often very good at faking it. We are often quite good at acting the part even when the heart isn’t in it.

I don’t mean to cast any doubts your way today or cause you to feel down…because there is hope in all of this! Sometimes this pathway of apathy leads directly to the wilderness. What do I mean by the wilderness? I don’t mean an empty lonely place full of strife and pain. When I say wilderness I am implying that there are times in which God is longing for us to draw closer to Him. If we are aware of this apathetic pathway we can take steps in the right direction.

Why did God lead His people into the wilderness in the first place? Through this dry and thirsty place God showed His chosen ones how they could fully rely on Him. He was present for them. He was (and still is) in love with His people. When they were in this barren wilderness the total acknowledgement that they needed help became completely apparent. Stepping onto this pathway of apathy is dangerous, but it can also lead us back to the wilderness and back to a right relationship with God.

Are you unfeeling today? Are you simply going through the motions in life right now? Sure the routine is somewhat rewarding but somehow you’ve lost that passion you once had. Perhaps it’s time to take a step into the wilderness once again and get reconnected with the Almighty. Apathy might be the death of man’s spiritual relationship with God…but it doesn’t have to be!

Taking time to stand before God without distractions of all kinds is absolutely necessary! If Jesus had to get away and commune with the Father what makes us think that we can simply ‘go it alone’? The truth of the matter is we cannot! The wilderness is calling…will you go? Will you take the time that your spirit and heart crave? Will you sacrifice some of your schedule in this day and give it completely to God so that He has your undivided attention? It’s not so much for His benefit but rather completely for our benefit and His renewal that we do this.

Go into your wilderness and meet with The Father, and over time you will find that every motion your body makes, every schedule that you keep matters to Him as well. He wants to be included in it all, He wants you to bring glory to Him in all things. But it begins with our time in the wilderness before Him.

This is my biggest pet peeve in my house. I have a pre-teen boy, and his teenage brother, and both of them use this phrase all of the time. It drives me absolutely crazy! To me, it speaks of an apathetic life style that I can not tolerate in my life or the lives of those whom I love. The world, unfortunately, has far too many people who are apathetic to circumstances and other people.

To me one of the worst qualities in our culture currently isn’t hatred, lust, or envy, it’s apathy. From this one faulty characteristic flows all of the rest of that which is broken in our fallen world. The “I don’t care” mentality strikes and literally breaks the heart of God. I believe this to be absolutely true especially in the Church.

If the church, of all places, cultivates an “I don’t care” mentality then its doors should just close today, because with it dependence on God evaporates. With this mentality intact inside the doors of the church, it becomes the church of Satan. Harsh words? Of course, but isn’t that what Satan wants most from those who are Christ-followers; to quit, to stop caring, to give up the fight?

I’m not sure about you, but I never want to embrace the “I don’t care” mentality. Because to do so, I give up that which does matter, and the One the does care…for me, and the rest of this world.

I DO CARE! Should be our motto when faced with this apathetic attitude even within us. I DO CARE, because God cared for me even before I knew Him. I DO CARE, because I didn’t deserve redemption yet Christ gives it to me freely! I DO CARE, because I have been charged by Christ within the great commission to care for those who still needs to hear the good news!

Why do you care? Praise God for simple reminders, and those moments of conviction in all of us! I DO CARE, how about you?

There’s a real danger in our world today. It’s not death…well not initially…it could be linked like some shoe string cousin. It’s not any kind of phobia. It’s apathy. I’ve talked about this danger before but sometimes it needs to be belted out through a bull horn before we wake up to its dangerous venom. Unlike hate or violence or any other kind of life threatening plague on humanity, Apathy can inflict the worst kind of sickness on the spirit on mankind.

There have been countless stories of real life examples of this disease. A woman in the state of California was mugged in broad day light and no one would come to her rescue…she fought with her attacker as he tried to swipe her purse In Broad Day Light! The only person that did come to her rescue was a homeless man who happened to be nearby. Everyone was far too busy to even care about her life threatening situation.

It’s hard to imagine people witnessing something of a violent nature and not doing something about it. Perhaps there was an element of fear or self-preservation, but to do nothing when one has the opportunity to do something…mind boggling. You might content that I wasn’t there so I couldn’t judge the merits of the would be witnesses…true and yet this is just a small example of this plight of apathy in our world today.

As Christians images of the parable of the Good Samaritan come to mind. Read it now from the Message version:

Luke 10:30-38 (MSG) 30 Jesus answered by telling a story. “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. 31 Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. 32 Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man. 33 “A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. 34 He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. 35 In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’ 36 “What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?” 37 “The one who treated him kindly,” the religion scholar responded. Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”

Did you catch the last thing Jesus said to the teachers of the law in this passage? “Go and do the same.” Go and do the same as what? The same as the Priest? The same as the Levite? NO! The same as the Good Samaritan. It’s funny that the one person that the Jews would have avoided in their lives came to the rescue of this man. The person with the least to offer gave what he could to the hurt and possibly dying man. That doesn’t sound like an apathetic person to me. This parable captures an attitude that we too should adopt in our lives.

Do you care enough?

Can we say that we would have done the same in our lives? Are we people who care about more than just ourselves? Are we willing to risk something not for ourselves but for someone else? For a complete stranger?

You do for me! (Jesus)

Matthew 25:34-40 (MSG) 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. 35 And here’s why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, 36 I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? 38 And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ 39 40 Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

Do care enough? Do you care at all for others or those around you? Apathy is a deadly disease of the spirit, and if we let it loose in our lives we run the risk of not only missing out on blessings but much more. We could lose our very souls. That is a very, very scary proposition to think on!

Get on with it!

In a very real aspect, we can rid ourselves of this plague of Apathy by getting on with it! What I mean is that we ought to stop talking about loving others or helping others by actually doing something about it! Take action! Roll your sleeves up and get to work!

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless–it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” -C.S. Lewis